R. C. Williams, chair of the Gulf Coast Water Authority Board of Directors, has responded to letters from Sugar Land Mayor James Thompson and City Manager Allen Bogard. Letters

“For several years the City of Sugar Land has requested the opportunity to work as a partner with the Gulf Coast Water Authority to resolve our outstanding contractual disagreements,” Bogard said, in a letter on February 17 seeking “a more positive working relationship and improved communication” with the water board.

“Gulf Coast Water Authority, as it always has, will continue to strive to work with the City of Sugar Land openly, honestly and positively,” Williams said in his response. “GCWA’s board was surprised last year when you met with our board committee to discuss the city’s issues and sternly refused to discuss the issues on the agenda except for one and then promptly left; when you decided to decline our representative’s requests to meet with city council representatives to discuss the city’s concerns and solutions; and when city staff declined to discuss water permit 12-5170 accounting plan to enable the city to move forward on the city’s plan to amend the city’s future water permit.”

The Texas Legislature is currently considering a bill sponsored by Senator Joan Huffman that would provide voting membership on the GCWA board for Brazoria and Fort Bend counties. Currently those counties have non-voting representatives at the board meetings.